Years ago finding skilled craftsmen used to be easy. You either opened the phone book or asked a trusted friend to make a recommendation. These days it is getting harder and harder to find skilled craftsmen that can also design your project, which is why this Masonry Contractor in Chester County is thrilled to announce that we were awarded First Place in the Masonry MHA Design/Build Contest in Little Switzerland, North Carolina!

The Masonry Heater Association of North America hosts this annual Design/Build Conference and Contest for members of the organization. Participants enter their own projects, and experts in the industry judge the submissions without knowing who did the work; this is known as a blind submission. Judging was done by peers in the industry at the annual MHA meeting and is based on a point system for aesthetics, skill in craftsmanship, design elements, creative use of materials and overall design. The conference and contest was held at Wildarces Retreat which is situated on 1,600 acres atop Pompey’s Knob, a mountain near the Blue Ridge Parkway in Little Switzerland, North Carolina.

Wildacres Retreat is a conference center offering facilities to non-profit groups conducting educational or cultural programs on topics such as music, art, science, religion, lapidary, crafts and writing; so this setting could not have been more perfect for this creative conference and competition. There was time spent in the classrooms, hands-on skill training and even the EPA was on hand to educate and then test the clean burning ability of these environmentally friendly masonry heaters. Many skilled artisans and our masonry contractor in Chester County happily spent time after class playing music, cooking on/in the masonry heaters and ovens and networking with each other to gain priceless knowledge from like-minded craftsmen.

For the competition at this conference Turpin Landscaping, Inc. submitted one of our favorite projects to be considered for this prestigious award.  This project includes a fireplace with custom seating flanking both sides, an outdoor kitchen and bar, outdoor lighting, natural stone patio and a custom designed pavilion. Did we mention that this project was designed and installed on an extremely steep hill that needed to be excavated and that the infinity pool had to be hoisted and then dropped into place by a large crane? Several contractors were solicited for this spectacular project but all of them declined the job when they learned of the potential intricacies and large scope of work involved. Fortunately the owner of the spa company recommended Turpin Landscaping when others were unable to creativity envision such a project.

Since completion of this project the Homeowner’s have graciously shared their stunning property with the Turpin’s to help raise funds for the Chester County Food Bank. Through their generosity, they have enriched the lives of many in our local community. If you would like to learn more about this project that that garnered this Masonry Contractor in Chester County first place and check out more about their backyard renovation you can read about it in Chester County Life Magazine.

Also consider attending on of our annual Water Garden Tours. Hopefully they will continue their generosity and share their stunning backyard paradise complete with an infinity pool and waterfalls with the Turpin’s and their guests once again during our tours.

So if you are looking for a Masonry Contractor in Chester County who won first place for their design/build craftsmanship or if you are interested in joining our tours, come and check us out at TurpinLandscaping.com or BrandywinePondTour.com. Be sure to take a look at the latest in environmentally friendly heating and cooking masonry options. Actually masonry heaters and oven have been popular in Europe for hundreds of years. They are now becoming increasingly popular with people in the United States who are concerned about their carbon output and are attracted by the superior radiant heat these energy efficient stoves and ovens produce.

Take a look at what a Masonry Contractor in Chester County can do for you!